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THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE PREAH NEANG DEVI


We know that a Preah Neang Deví can be the god’s sakti, his equivalent, or even his female energy. This energy is the very essence of the god, which represents all that exists in nature: inanimate objects, human beings and animals.

We must give credit to the Indian philosopher Isvarakrsna for studying the Samkhyá-which means theory or analytical thinking - on the existence of things, human beings and animals. Taken as a whole, these notions have given rise to the two principles of Prakrti and Purusa.

The Prakrti is like a body that provokes a reaction, a sort of catalyst that acts as a creative power. The Prakrti possesses three qualities, sattva, rajas and tamas. It is considered to be pure and natural, which means not altered. It is classified in the ‘woman and female’ category, and in identified with the earth.

The Purusa is the spirit, the inactive principle that cannot create. The union of the spirit and the Prakrti causes life and pain. It is classified in the ‘man and male category’, and is considered to be the sunlight.

Based on this reasoning, it appears that all life forms (human beings, animals and all living things in nature) come from the combination of these two types of matter. When the earth and the sunlight come into contact and unite, they create life, which is idealized in the form of deities. All that exists in nature – water, earth, fire, wind, human beings, and animals come from the union of male and female. Thus, these two opposing principles are united.

This indicate that a god is both the Prakrti and the Purusa, but the Prakrti is the god;s sakti and the Purusa is the god itself. The Prakrti and the Purusa are ambivalent and, as such, they express the concepts of ‘good-bad’, ‘construction-destruction’, or ‘saviour-punisher’. As a result, the god’s sakti and the god itself are equally powerful. They are both evil and virtuous.

With this in mind, it becomes possible to study the role and duties of the Preah Neang Deví.
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